Hello all.

After a six-week absence, I’m back. My first child, Jasmine, was born May 27 at 7:28 p.m. I took some time off to bond with her and help my wife recover.

During my time off, however, I stayed close to the Gophers grapevine … when I wasn’t preparing baby bottles, washing the shirts my daughter spit up on, sleeping whenever possible and rocking her until she fell asleep only to wake up again 15 minutes later in some sort of infant Gotcha! bit. Here’s what I heard and learned:

-The Gophers like Columbia Heights guard Jacob Thomas. I was at Gophers team camp in Minneapolis, where Minnesota coaches paid close attention to Thomas, a 6-3 scorer in the 2010 class who has good basketball instincts. One Gophers insider admired Thomas’ ability to get the basket with ease. He already has an offer from Northern Iowa, but he wants to play for the Gophers.

Minnesota coaches also noted the playmaking ability of Thomas’ teammate, Markus Shaw, a 5-11 point guard in the 2010 class. Shaw has a lot of speed and during Minnesota team camp, he showed it off. He’s not on a lot of radars, so Minnesota’s perceived interest at a camp frequented by a number of college coaches could help Shaw earn a free ride somewhere.

-Rodney Williams will wait to sign with a school until the fall, according to Rene Pulley. That’s not news. But Pulley also said Williams really likes Tubby Smith and the Gophers and suggested that Williams’ decision to take official visits to other schools doesn’t necessarily mean he’s wide open. He said Williams, like any other teenager, likes the idea of being wined and dined (not literally) by other schools.

-Ralph Sampson has a lot to learn, according to one Gophers insider. That’s not to say that Sampson doesn’t have the basketball IQ and raw skills to become a great player for the Gophers, but when asked if Sampson could become a one-and-done or even a two-and-done player that goes to the pros after a few years, the Gophers insider said Sampson will probably need at least four years to get to that level, which is no guarantee.

I’m sure Ohio State had the same feelings about Kosta Koufos, who was drafted by the Jazz in the first round of the NBA Draft, proving that the combination of height and raw talent too often leads to NBA contracts.

-A long time ago, I wrote that Lawrence Westbrook was on his way out. As he progressed throughout the year, bloggers criticized that prediction. Believe me or not, a very good source told me that Westbrook wasn’t responding well to Tubby Smith’s system. But a year later, another good source told me that the starting shooting guard spot is Westbrook’s to lose, even though Devoe Joseph, Devron Bostick and Blake Hoffarber could all compete for minutes at that position.

-Blake Hoffarber is up for an ESPY, again. That’s fine. But I covered the game that was the scene of his second infamous shot. I was actually standing over Hoffarber and his teammates as they jumped on him in front of press row after he nailed the buzzer beater. All I’m saying is that I think my performance deserves some mention in his acceptance speech. I’d even appreciate being the guy in the crowd who shakes his hand before he walks toward the podium to accept his award. Assuming he wins. And barring any unforeseen ethical violations.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 3:11 pm and is filed under Gophers men's basketball. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.